January 2012 Volume 15 Number 1 - Educational Technology ...

Another key finding is that most teachers (75.9%) strongly agree that they are aware of the continuous improvement
of their IWB skills (Q17) (M = 3.90, SD = .861). This finding indicates that one of the key sources for teachers IWB
skill development is coming from their own experience as shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, teachers agreed on the
importance of learning to use an IWB (Q18) (M = 4.06, SD = .856) by reporting how valuable the IWB is for their
instruction.
For the usability theme, teachers were asked to indicate whether IWBs can be used in different contexts and ways. It
is evident that teachers’ perceptions regarding to usability of IWBs in any kind of course and course content are
positive (Q24) (M = 3.90, SD = 1.080). Three quarters of the teachers agreed that IWBs can be used with various
instructional methods and techniques (Q26) (M = 3.95, SD = .830). These findings suggest that IWBs are not tied to
a specific context. Teachers who participated in this study have positive attitudes about the usefulness and usability
of IWBs. These attitudes are essential indicators in terms of the acceptance and the prediction of effective use of this
technology, as outlined by Davis’s (1989) model.
Similarly, the frequency and the duration of technology use are other essential indicators for the acceptance of
technology. Several significant differences were found in this study regarding the frequency and duration of
teachers’ IWB use. Expectedly in this study, teachers who frequently used an IWB were more likely to have a higher
level of IWB competency and more positive perceptions towards an IWB use as suggested by Moss et al. (2007). As
Glover et al. (2007) stated, ‘teachers need time to develop their technological fluency, apply pedagogic principles to
the available materials or to the development of materials, and then to incorporate the IWB seamlessly into their
teaching’ (p. 17). Therefore, encouraging teachers to use an IWB more frequently may help them 1) to effectively
integrate the IWB in their instructions, 2) to have more positive attitudes towards IWBs, 3) to accept this technology
as an effective and a helpful instructional tool, and also 4) to cope with the emerging issues of IWB use as competent
users. This finding also confirms the importance of teachers’ individual efforts to achieve higher-level IWB skills
and knowledge as emphasized in the findings regarding the source of IWB skills and knowledge.
Concerning teachers’ effective use of any technology, several issues are associated with each other such as acquiring
appropriate skills and knowledge, perceived efficiency, and usage frequency of the technology. Even after a
comprehensive IWB training session, teachers who do not sufficiently use an IWB and do not practice what they
have learned may have lost their initial IWB skills and knowledge as well as their confidence over time (Slay,
Siebörger, & Hodgkinson-Williams, 2008). Hall and Higgins (2005) emphasize that teachers need continuous
training sessions to improve and also maintain such skills. It is clear that teachers in this study need training
particularly on using effective instructional strategies for IWB-assisted courses in order to transform their pedagogy
into more student-centered, social and interactive learning. However, there are two existing problems: 1) one time
training sessions provided by the representative of IWB supplier are superficial, and 2) schools do not have the time
and budget to provide regular training sessions. As such, teachers should be supported to continuously use IWBs in
their classrooms by working with their peers in order to improve their IWB skills and knowledge as suggested by
Shenton & Pagett (2007). Furthermore, effective IWB implementations shared by groups of teachers may increase
the awareness of teachers in terms of effective IWB strategies as well as their positive attitudes towards using the
IWB in their courses. Teachers can find just-in-time solutions to their IWB problems. These kinds of practice help
teachers to quickly overcome the wow barrier that Beauchamp and Parkinson (2005) stressed as a breakpoint to
achieve a profound impact of the IWB on instruction.
Limitations
This study, which represents a snapshot of IWB use, has several limitations that may provide guidance for future
research. For example, a qualitative analysis would be helpful for the examination of the underlying reasons of
significant differences emerging between the teachers who most and least frequently use IWBs in their classes. On
the other hand, the questionnaire developed specifically for this study considering the existing literature and
associated theories and models. This instrument may be exposed to confirmatory factor analysis to examine the
fitness of themes with various fit-indexes (Anderson & Gerbing, 1988). Finally, similar research may be conducted
by considering additional IWB factors such as issues of IWB-assisted courses and effects of receiving IWB trainings
on the IWB use.
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